


Blood and Snow

by WildConcerto



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M, Finn is a Knight in Shining Armor, Kylo is a Trash Princess in Distress, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rey is the Queen of Everything, Snow White meets Dracula, Star Wars Legends references, the author wants to be forgiven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:20:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8415325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildConcerto/pseuds/WildConcerto
Summary: “You know… I’d like our child to have hair as black as night, skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood,” she whispers. She shakes her head, laughing at her own daydream. “I sound ridiculous,” she chuckles.“No you don’t, sweetheart,” Han reassures her. “I mean, combine that with my good looks, and he’ll be the fairest of them all.”“Don’t get too excited, hotshot,” she replies, slapping him softly on the arm. “Maybe he’ll end up looking like me or like Luke.” “Either way, with parents like us, I’m sure he’ll be an angel,” Han jokes.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! So as I announced in my fic Amidala's Star, here's the Snow White meets vampire hunters AU I had talked about. It's better than it sounds, I swear - well, I hope so. It was an idea I initially wanted to do for the Keeping the Stars Apart project, but since all the spots for Snow White were taken, I had to abandon the idea. I won't say too much, but if you're an Old Republic nerd like me, you might like this little story of mine. 
> 
> So here it is, just in time for Halloween! Comments and suggestions are as always very much appreciated. 
> 
> I also want to give a big shout out thanks to Vivien, who accepted to beta this fic - you were really, really helpful, and I can't stress that enough, lol.

_ “So much for trying to be all perfect and ladylike.” _

_ The Queen scowls at her husband while sucking her finger to stop it from bleeding. He may be called her consort and receive all the honors due to his rank, but there is no way of getting rid of the scoundrel he will probably always be. He shows off that smirk that never fails to make her feel giddy inside. She must admit to herself, though begrudgingly, she has never been successful to hide her feelings, especially in front of him. _

_ She sets aside her embroidery: she has always hated doing any kind of needlework, but there is a little one coming. It’s a boy. She can feel it. She has sworn to make all his blankets and clothing herself, but it is a promise she is now starting to sorely regret. _

_ As she turns her head towards the window, she sees drops of her red blood on the sill’s freshly fallen snow. She has become distracted, as always, and the snow providing her a distraction caused her to wound herself with her needle.  _

_ The soft candlelight gives the blood and the snow an eerie glow, and the night sky only enhances the beauty of it all. There is not a single star, and the moon has hidden itself. She has always hated those nights, but now, for once, she is comforted. _

_ “What is it, Leia?” her husband asks, holding her hands with a tenderness that only the scruffy-looking ex-thief is capable of. There is also the way he says her name – his voice shows no distant reverence like anyone else, but directness, coming from a sense of equality, mixed with sincere affection. They argue often, of course, and he doesn’t care about her being royalty whenever it happens. They yell names at each other, and it always ends with both slamming the door in each other’s face. _

_ Thankfully, their arguments never last. Not after all the adventures they’ve been through, where she was the princess in the tower and he the thief stumbling across her by accident. It all lead to her finding her brother again and reclaiming her kingdom, while he stood by her side. _

_ Their relationship was tumultuous, but nothing could ever set them apart from each other. _

_ She smiles softly. “You know… I’d like our child to have hair as black as night, skin as white as snow and lips as red as blood,” she whispers. She shakes her head, laughing at her own daydream. “I sound ridiculous,” she chuckles. _

_ “No you don’t, sweetheart,” Han reassures her. “I mean, combine that with my good looks, and he’ll be the fairest of them all.” _

_ “Don’t get too excited, hotshot,” she replies, slapping him softly on the arm. “Maybe he’ll end up looking like me or like Luke.” _

_ “Either way, with parents like us, I’m sure he’ll be an angel,” Han jokes. _

_ Leia can’t hold back her laughing while she buries her head in Han’s chest. At the same time, she feels her soon-to-be born son kicking. _

_ That night, however, no peaceful dreams come to grace her slumber. _

_ She dreams of black wraiths invading Alderaan, their dark silhouettes not bothered in any way by the eternal winter. In every village, they annihilate all living beings, and leave behind dozens of corpses drained of their blood. _

_ She sees a little boy in a dark corner, curled up in fear, hiding behind what looks like a tomb. His features are familiar to her, and like in her silly daydream, his hair is as black as night, his skin as white as snow and his lips as red as blood. _

_ She sees a shadow behind him, one of a great warrior she recognizes but cannot name, wielding a purple lightsaber in one hand and a red one in the other. But the shadow is nothing more than a ghost and cannot protect the boy, despite the strong link she can feel between them. _

_ Leia can’t help but glance at the tomb’s engravings.  _

_ She wakes up screaming. It’s something she has never done, not even in those nightmares where she would re-experience her own father torturing her to get the Rebel base’s location. _

_ The tomb had her name carved in the cold stone. _

* * *

There is someone in her forest.

Well, it isn’t  _ her  _ forest. But there are rarely intruders, and by now, she has pretty much considered it like home. Rey has been there for as long as she can remember. She is the only human roaming around, but there is always a bird or some other animal by her side.

Today, there’s a trespasser, and Rey’s first impulse is to grab her staff and hide behind a tree, waiting for whoever it is to appear, to determine if she’d attack or wait for them to leave.

A flock of birds flutter around her. They are excited, but they don’t chirp, as if they want to remain hidden, too. They tug at her hair and her hood, poke her cheek, and Rey can’t help but wave her hand to chase them away in annoyance.

A young man suddenly appears. Even from a distance, she can tell he is tall and broad, but it clashes with his still childlike features. Or perhaps they appear childlike because he looks  _ terrified _ .

In her thirteen years, Rey hasn’t come across a lot of people in her life, but she can tell he is a nobleman, with his sword hanging at his belt, his collar embroidered with silver and his cape lined with fur. She notices a silver cylinder also attached to his belt, and she frowns in curiosity. She has never seen anything like it.

He does not come alone. Rey can sense darkness approaching, and she can’t help but swallow in fear. She shivers, as the air suddenly grows cold, even for a November day, and the birds fly away in a frenzy. She can tell the young man has been running away from his tormentors for a long time: his cheeks and the tip of his ridiculously big ears are red, and contrast with the pallor of his complexion and his jet-black hair. He looks around him, breathing heavily, until he looks straight in her direction.

She knows he has seen her.

She comes out of her hiding place, cursing herself for getting caught so easily. She brandishes her staff, determined to strike him if he makes any sudden moves or draws his sword. As she comes closer to him, she realizes how small she is compared to him, but the size difference doesn’t frighten her in any way.

He grows calmer as she advances, his expression half-puzzled, half-amused, despite his body remaining tense.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice deep yet soft.

“I live here,” Rey replies, attempting but failing to lover her voice a register. Regardless, she lifts her chin up and sets her shoulders back. But the dark presence only comes closer, and Rey realizes they can’t stay in this place for much longer.

She impulsively grabs the young man’s hand. “Come on!” she whispers, dragging him behind her. “I’ll hide you.”

While they run, Rey looks above her shoulder from time to time, making sure the young man keeps following her and doesn’t let go of her hand.

She guides him towards a cave and keeps holds of his hand to lead him through the darkness. She shudders, as she realizes she has never been this deep into the cavern, but she knows they will not be safe if they don’t go further. They stop in a nook lit up by crystals, making the place look significantly less gloomy. The stone ceiling is high above them, and there are sculpted columns, here and there, hinting that this place might have been important, a long time ago. The crystals all seem to be white. However, even though it lasts only for a few seconds, they change color, always in shades of blue, green, yellow or purple. While Rey glances around, her eyes gleaming as she resists an urge to run around, the young man has straightened up, his head lowered in respect since he knows they have come across a sacred place. 

Nevertheless, he looks back in apprehension, searching for hidden enemies. Eventually, he also notices that the dark presence hasn’t followed them into the cave and is getting farther and farther from them.

He looks back at Rey in bewilderment. He expected by now to be at his enemy’s mercy, and yet, it is a slip of a girl who just saved his life. She doesn’t look much older than thirteen, and her clothes are too large for her scrawny frame. Her hair is tied in three small buns, and he can’t help but smile a little at the sight of such a peculiar hairstyle.

She may just be a young girl, but she has saved his life.

And for some reason, even though he can’t quite explain why, he feels like he somehow recognizes her, even though he’s certain it’s first time in his life he’s ever met her.

“I thank you for saving my life, milady,” he says, bowing to her with a smile.

Rey blushes, and stares at him with her brows furrowed and her mouth half-opened. She has never seen that young man in her entire life, and yet… it is as if she has always known him.

“What’s your name?” she asks.

He hesitates for a few seconds. “You can call me Ben,” he replies.

“I’m Rey,” she adds.

Ben nods. “I’ll remember your name. Alderaan is indebted to you.” Rey’s eyes widen at the mention of the nearby kingdom she has never been to, and all the other countries flash through her mind. Coruscant, Dantooine, Takodana, Naboo, Kashyyyk, Manaan, Onderon, Mandalore, Hosnian… Her reverie quickly fades away. She cannot even think of leaving the Forest. Not while she’s waiting for her family.

“I can’t stay here forever,” says Ben, bringing Rey back to reality. “Apart from Alderaan, do you know if there are any kingdoms nearby?”

“You’ll have to walk for a while,” answers Rey. “I know Chandrila is close, but it’s five to six days of travelling. And you’re on foot.”

“I’ll have to leave soon, then. I wouldn’t want them to come back and put you into danger.”

“Who’s hunting you down?” asks Rey.

She regrets asking that question, for Ben’s face seems to age ten years and his hands tremble. “Haven’t you heard what’s happening in Alderaan, Rey?”

She nods, but she is a bit perplexed. She knows there was a war, nearly twenty years ago, in which Alderaan’s Queen and the Prince consort died. The little Crown Prince and the Queen’s brother, Sir Luke Skywalker, had mysteriously disappeared soon afterwards. She knows about the First Order now assembling Alderaan, as well as Arkanis, with its Supreme Leader reigning as sole master.

She has also heard of the ten young boys and the ten young girls he orders to be sent to his palace, every year, never to be seen or heard of again.

That is the usual. Nothing seems to have changed ever since.

She snaps out of her daydream beside Ben as he takes the silver cylinder from his belt. He looks at Rey, his face solemn. “Rey… may I ask you to keep this for me? It’s—it’s very precious. I don’t want anyone ill-intentioned to get their hands on it. I don’t know who I can turn to, and… I feel like I can trust you with it. Will you keep it until I come back?”

Rey stares at Ben, then at the cylinder, unsure whether to accept or to refuse. She hears a soft voice whispering in her ears, encouraging her to pick the silver cylinder from Ben’s hands.

Without further hesitation, she seizes it.

A vision.

_ His face is masked, and she trembles in fear, but it is not because of the cloaked figure in front of her.It is because of what the cloaked figure could do. She tries to convince herself her fear comes only from silly superstitions, and nothing more. He may have been an Elder, once, but it’s not as if a mask from another time can turn him back into one of the Undead. Yet, she remembers all her Masters’ teachings, and how often they would warn her about the unknown powers some artifacts could hold. _

_ “Don’t go back,” she whispers, and Rey holds back a gasp of surprise as she realizes how adult her voice sounds. “Let me come with you,” she continues, becoming irritated. “I won’t let you leave me behind. I’ll find a way to follow you. I always will.” _

_ He lowers his head, and he holds both her hands in his, softly, yet firmly. _

_ “Don’t,” his muffled voice replies. Anger bursts within her, and she is about to reply, determined not to let that idiot do anything foolish she’ll regret for the rest of her life, but he waves a hand. Before she can yell at him as she understands what he has done at her, darkness forces her into a dreamless slumber. _

They stare at each other, trembling. It is easy for both to realize they have shared the same vision.

But they have no time to wonder about what just happened between them.

“What is it?” Rey asks, shaking her head and focusing on the task at hand. The silver cylinder is surprising warm, for something made of metal. She feels it vibrating, as if it had a soul of its own.

“A lightsaber,” Ben replies. “It belonged to my grandfather, and my uncle before me. It represents my family’s legacy. It must be safe. Will you help me?”

Rey clutches the lightsaber, and turns it around in fascination. A lightsaber… she has heard so many legends about the Jedi and the Sith, and here she is, manipulating the only thing those two orders have in common: their deadly weapon.

“I will!” she shouts with determination. “I won’t let anything happen to it. I promise.”

Urgency does not permit them to stay together any longer. Rey leads Ben out of the cave, and points him towards a part of the forest where a little traveled path will lead him to Chandrila. She waves goodbye to him, and in response, he once again bows to her as if she was a lady. She finds herself blushing.

From that day, and for the next seven years, she dreams of moments coming from what seems like another life on some nights, and on others, of seven wolves circling her while she stands in darkness, until someone she cannot see grabs her waist.

She can never see who it is: she always wakes up at that exact moment.


	2. the right thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> His face hits the ground once again while the memory that isn’t his fades away as quickly as it has come. The impact was so strong he can taste dirt in his mouth. He knows a single sign of rebellion could cost him his life, and he’s still not brave enough to die. He may hold himself from curling his fist, but his mind still belongs to him, no matter what. And right now, he’s telling himself: “Never again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so, so much for the response for this fic! I'm so happy to see so many like it until now, and I just hope you'll like the journey until the end! Reviews are appreciated as always. 
> 
> And again, many thanks to my wonderful beta, Vivien :D

_You always knew what was the right thing to do._

_You have sworn to protect innocents, bringing peace to all kingdoms and using your lightsaber only when necessary._

_In these troubled times, you know that time has come._

_Your masters tell you to wait while they deliberate on the situation, but you know you cannot wait any longer. You have always been obedient, but the blood of a leader boils in your veins._

_Now, your time has come to disobey._

 

* * *

 

His face hits the ground once again while the memory that isn’t his fades away as quickly as it has come. The impact was so strong he can taste dirt in his mouth. He knows a single sign of rebellion could cost him his life, and he’s still not brave enough to die. He may hold himself from curling his fist, but his mind still belongs to him, _no matter what_. And right now, he’s telling himself: “Never again.”

Thanks to his pounding head, he hears Phasma’s heavy steps more acutely than usual. He worries for a moment that she might crush his head with her boot. Thankfully, she stops at a few centimeters from it.

“It’s impossible…” she whispers. “No one, not even someone with Jedi training, could resist that level of reconditioning.”

She grabs him by the nape, forcing him to look at her. He eyes her up and down in foolish defiance, only for her to smirk at him and throw him on the wall. He groans when he collapses, but it is because he’s scolding himself for his boldness rather than because of the pain.

Another thing that helps him get through it all is Phasma’s confusion. There is something utterly satisfying about it, even if it’s obviously due to her spending too much time around Familiars. They have the same lifeless eyes and the same monotone voice – but their most terrifying trait is their pacing. Words cannot truly describe it, for they walk as if they don’t exist.

While the Undead had their minds trapped in soulless bodies, immunizing them against any kind of goodness, Familiars had both their souls and minds imprisoned, which made them not only ghosts, but also slaves.

Of all the Familiars in his cohort, FN-2187 was the one with the most potential – well, as much as a Familiar could have potential. Phasma had marked him herself, and made sure he would always remain close to her in every mission, and yet…

Yet, this was his third attempt to escape, and this after far too many demonstrations of compassion towards whom he calls innocents and whom he should rather call targets. And, after reconditioning sessions that could have killed some, he was still alive.

“What am I to do with you, FN-2187?” asks Phasma, running a freezing cold finger on his cheek while he tries to cower away, without any success. He gathers faraway memories of his mother caressing his cheek. Even though he can’t remember how she looked like, he remembers how soft and how warm her hands were.

That memory grants him peace for a few seconds, until Phasma’s low, icy voice brings him back to reality.

“Fortunately… the Supreme Leader seems to have a use for you.”

His head shoots up. Some would say that meeting the Supreme Leader face to face is the greatest honor one could wish for. But any kind of courage he might have had until now has vanished.

He keeps facing the ground as two Familiars drag him towards the throne room while Phasma follows. He tries keeping his breath even so no one can notice his fear. He knows the Undead can hear the faintest noise. A human’s breath is only the sound they are most used to perceive to hunt down their prey: and the sound of a terrified prey’s is their favorite.

The throne room is dark, as always, since there is not a single window: despite the candles, their fire is too dim to provide a real light.

He dares to glance up towards the thrones. The Supreme Leader’s heir sits on the lower, as always, never daring to take the upper one whenever he’s alone. His red hair contrasts with his pallid skin, and the candlelight only enhances it all. Hux looks ghostly; but it is nothing compared to the Supreme Leader.

He can’t help but wonder if the Supreme Leader is even human. His skin appears to be grey, and his pointy ears are unequal and almost seem to be randomly placed on each side of his bald head. But his most horrifying feature is, without the shadow of a doubt, his long bony hands ornamented with long fingernails far too similar to claws.

FN-2187 quickly lowers his head, thanking the Heavens no one has seen him dare to glimpse at the Supreme Leader.

“So it is you… FN-2187,” the Supreme Leader finally murmurs after a long silence while eyeing his slave up and down. “Of course. I should have guessed by now it was _you_.” FN-2187’s head raises up as he hears that cryptic last sentence, but a blow to the back of his skull forces him to lower it again, while he bites back a groan which would definitely set him as weak in front of everyone assembled. He hears a snicker, and it is very easy for him to guess it comes from Hux. He manages to steal a glance his way, only to quickly look away: his sneer is intolerable as always.

“You know…” continues the Supreme Leader, “if you live long enough, you’ll see the same eyes in the same people.” He smiles, but his crooked mouth shows sharp teeth that manage to shine despite the room’s darkness. “You’ll be just perfect for the task I’ll give you.”

FN-2187 panics. This can only mean no good: an assignment from the Supreme Leader is serious business, and right now, he is in no way in anyone’s good graces. He realizes quickly it can only be a suicide mission. For a moment, he wonders if it wouldn’t be better for him to just accept whatever may come his way, including death. It would be an end to his miserable life anyway.

But he quickly shrugs off that thought with horror. He wants to live, desperately.

He wants to live, and be the master of his own actions. Perhaps be able to build instead of destroying.

He wishes he could be a hero. Like all those people he had heard whispers about, even though everyone was too terrified to name any of them.

“One of my most powerful servants, Kylo Ren, has – well, let’s say he got out of my control. Such power going wild is far too dangerous for anyone. It will be your task to stop him, and bring him back to me, dead or alive.”

Nightmares start dancing around in FN-2187. All he can see in every single one of them is a silhouette cloaked in black from head to toe, accompanied by seven wolves, as thirsty for blood as their master.

His legs weaken underneath him, trembling, and he ultimately collapses on the ground while begging himself to stay brave, even though he knows that his end has come.

Even he, the most promising of all the First Order’s Familiars, cannot even dream of defeating Kylo Ren himself.

 

* * *

 

The horse’s hoofs are heavy on the snow, and FN-2187 wonders if the animal is unconsciously aware it’s galloping towards his death along with his rider. FN-2187 finds himself becoming overwhelmed with morbidity as he wonders if the wolves will attack his horse first, while they keep him for their master as his main course.

His armor suffocates him, even though he’s been used to wearing for a long time. It is nothing more than a ridiculous masquerade: he’s been given an armor far shinier and complete than the ones provided to Familiars.

He shivers despite all his layers, as he looks at all the white around him, and the sleeping trees, waiting for spring to come and awake them again. There has been no spring, nor summer, nor fall ever since the First Order has invaded the kingdom. Alderaan had been lauded by poets for its short winters, its forests remaining green and alive for most of the year.

That golden age was now long gone.

As he advances through the forest, he hears birds chirping, and their song is more jubilant than anything FN-2187 has heard before. He diverges from his path, following their melody.

He arrives in a place where there is no snow nor ice, and green reigns in their place.

For the first time in his life, instead of viewing pale imitations from old books, he sees leaves in trees and bushes, grass, mushrooms, and – yes, even flowers.

He immediately gets off his horse and takes off his helmet, his umber brown skin drinking the sun’s rays and glowing in result while his eyes shine like they never have before. His grin is so wide it almost reaches his ears, and for a moment, he almost forgets he is going to die.

Perhaps dying wasn’t so bad, if the afterlife was going to be that beautiful.

A whistle suddenly jolts him awake from his daydream, and as he swiftly turns around, he realizes that an arrow has planted itself on a tree just behind him.

Without further ado, he draws his sword, ready to attack.

A figure cloaked in green shows up, their bow bent and ready to strike once again. FN-2187 straightens up, determined to keep the upper hand.

“You’re not a very good shot,” he mocks.

“I missed you on purpose,” replies a female voice. “What are you doing in my forest?”

“Your forest? You mean… this is your forest?” he chuckles. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Another arrow whistles near his ear, planting itself in another tree.

“Next time, I won’t miss,” threatens the woman, as she immediately prepares another arrow. “Now, tell me, what are you doing here?”

He snorts. “What does it look like? I’m just some fool walking straight towards his death.”

She lowers both her bow and her arrow. FN-2187 can sense he has caught her attention. “Drop your sword,” she commands him, and without explanation, he finds himself obeying her.

She pushes her hood away, revealing a girl probably not older than twenty, her brown hair in three peculiar little buns. Her eyes show wariness, but they hold no malice.

He notices her defensive stance loosen and her eyes soften, as suspicion turns into curiosity. It seems communicative, since he starts feeling the same way: he knows, somehow, that she isn’t an enemy, but a friend.

Not only that, but… he knows her. He feels like he has finally found someone he’s been looking for a very, very long time, and that it is only a start for something even grander. He has seen her somewhere - in a dream, in a nightmare, and pictures from what seems like another lifetime suddenly start playing in his mind. She’s present in every single one of them, even if she seems somewhat more mature and adult in all of them. In some, she’s wrapped in darkness, slowly fading away from him; in others, she clasps both his hands in hers, half-crying, half-fearless, and begging him to help her find someone whose name remains a mystery - for now.

FN-2187 clears his throat, bringing himself back to reality. He looks at the girl in amazement, and notices her face has the exact same countenance as his. For a moment, he wonders if she has seen the same flashbacks as he did.

“FN-2187,” he presents himself, as an attempt for the exchange to become friendlier and less awkward. “And you are…”

“Your name is a number?” she asks, tilting her head, perplexed.

“Never had any other,” he replies. “Well, I like to believe my mother gave me one – but I can’t remember it. I can’t remember my mother either.”

The shadow of a smile appears on her lips. “I remember my parents… in fact, I’m still waiting for them to come back.” She swallows, and attempts to smile shyly. “I’m Rey,” she continues. “Can – can I call you Finn? I just can’t let your name be a number.”

He grins back at her, and his joy is so communicative any lingering feeling of timidity or mistrust disappears. “Finn,” he repeats. “I like it. Thank you.”

She beams, and Finn can’t help but think that if spring has managed to subsist in this part of the forest, it is because of her smile.

“So, tell me,” Rey continues. “Why were you walking towards your death?”

Finn straightens up, as he realizes that now, death is getting farther and farther from him.

“I was a Familiar, and I rebelled against my master.”

Her eyes widen. She becomes defensive once again, eyeing him up and down. She has seen Familiars before, and has been attacked more than once. She has taken lives before – but for the sake of her forest, she had to. She doesn’t know what kind of black magic makes them look so lifeless. She knows they are under the Supreme Leader’s command, but with all the conflicting rumors she hears – some paint him as the wisest ruler to have ever walked the surface of the earth, others call him a blood-thirsty monster.

In her forest, despite Familiars intruding from time to time, she lives in blissful ignorance, far away from winter.

But he looks so alive, compared to all the other Familiars she has come across. Not only alive, but determined to keep living and be free.

She relaxes once again. “What happened? Why did you resist your master?” she asks.

His gaze hardens. “I was punished,” he chuckles humorlessly. “And I resisted, because it was the right thing to do.”


	3. dust you are and to dust you will go back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a name drop at some point: so, for the love of God, please don't search it on Wookieepedia. Or if you do, or if you recognize the name, shh! 
> 
> Anyway, it was a long wait, wasn't it! I'm sorry for that, especially considering the chapter is so short. Basically, I had to re-write it entirely since the scene I wanted to write with more of Rey and Finn just wasn't working, so I'm saving this for the next chapter. Have a bit of Snoke and Prince Trash Can instead. It didn't help that I was participating in the Ring in the Reylo gift exchange, which really took a lot of my time, and... well, the end of December was pretty rough, wasn't it? 
> 
> RIP, Carrie.

His fingers – or rather, his long nails - scratch the surface of the mirror, and she awakens, appearing on the other side of the glass.

Her hood is lowered down to her nose, but he can see her lips twisted in the shadow of a malicious grin. Supreme Leader Snoke smirks inwardly. Angering that old hag by proving her powerlessness is going to be more than entertaining.

She lowers her head as a way of greeting him. But she makes it look more like an insult than a sign of submission.

“FN-2187 has been undisciplined again,” he starts, and he can barely hide a hint of triumph in his voice. “I’ve sent him to his death.”

The witch doesn’t rage as he has expected. Whatever triumph he might have felt before announcing her the news quickly vanishes, even if he doesn’t show any sign of it.

“And?” asks the old woman in the mirror. She snorts. “Ah, I see. You’ve been unoriginal enough to go and attempt to kill  _ him _ .”

The Supreme Leader refrains from sighing. “You give that  _ Familiar _ more credit than he deserves,” he replies, making his disdain clear. “He is not the one you used to know.”

The witch chuckles. “You’ve said it yourself. If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in the same people. Tell me,  _ who  _ defeated you?  _ Who _ sent you back in the depths of the Earth, until someone was foolish enough to accidently free you from your tomb? It was the one you expected the less to do so.”

He scowls, but contains his fury. He hates being reminded once again of his most humiliating defeat, and after all those centuries, he still cannot acknowledge the extent of his opponent’s power. “But now, who cares? FN-2187 can do nothing against me. He won’t even survive facing Kylo Ren. He’s powerless. And this time, there is no trickery you can do.”

She moves forward, but her glass prison separates her from the real world. But when she pushes back her hood, her white eyes stare right at him, even if they’re blind. and it strangely feels as if she’s too close for comfort.

“Ah, but this is where you are wrong. You may have trapped me, but I still live… and there can only be one Lady of Betrayal. Now… is there anything you wish to ask of me, my Lord?”

The venom is all too palpable, and Supreme Leader Snoke cannot help but become apprehensive. He tries to shake it away. There is no one more powerful than him, not even Death. He repeats the mantra in his mind, again and again. But it is not enough.

He imagines another universe where instead of trapping that old hag in a mirror and using her talents as a seer, he has crushed every single bone of hers, after emptying her body of all that black blood flowing in her veins. His tongue quickly licks his upper teeth, lingering a bit on the sweet taste from the venom dripping from his canines. His thirst gives him strength.

“Since you are so fond of FN-2187,” he commands, “show him to me. We will both have proof I am the most powerful of them all.”

She nods with a vicious smile, and she fades away to reveal Spring instead of eternal winter.

Supreme Leader Snoke sees FN-2187 in a green forest, but worst of all –  _ she _ is with him.

He sees her reaching towards a bush, a single touch of hers making delicate white flowers grow.

“Ah yes, my lord,” he hears the witch’s voice mock, “you are the most powerful of them all. But there will come a day when the girl, FN-2187 and Kylo Ren will become more powerful than you ever will be. They defeated you once. They will defeat you again, and this time—”

She cannot continue. In pure rage, Snoke bangs his fists on the mirror, hoping to break the glass and silence that witch for good.

The glass doesn’t even crack. But the old hag’s laugh echoes in the room.

“The Force  _ wills  _ it,” continues the witch, as if nothing happened. There is, however, a hint of disgust in her voice. “We are all slaves to it, to the tracing of our fates to the use of its power. It cannot be destroyed.”

“Perhaps not,  _ Traya _ ,” seethes Snoke, condescending. “But I will bend it to  _ my  _ will.”

She chuckles. “You speak of it as if it was nothing more than another conquest. The Force is a living being on its own. There is nothing you can do. I am doomed, but I know my sole satisfaction will be to see you  _ crushed _ . The lovers, and the hero, like in the past.”

The Supreme Leader rolls his fists, and takes a deep breath. “Then I curse them,” he hisses.  “I curse them all. I curse Kylo Ren to remember the woman he once loved and love her as deeply as he did, but only for the girl to remember nothing of her lover and to hate him with all her might. I curse FN-2187 to…”

He tries to reach to FN-2187, but he cannot. It is as if he is immune to any curse he could send his way. He glares at the old hag, and she merely smirks. He tries harder, attempting to penetrate whatever “shield” FN-2187 might possess. But he realizes with horror it only seems to make him even stronger.

_ Just like Queen Leia. No black magic could stop her, nor corrupt her, not even Darth Vader’s worst spells and summonings. She only got up, and stood even straighter than before. Her shield was too strong. And because of that gift, she died. _

“There is nothing you can do. The echoes of their past lives are still there. And—it appears that you’ve awakened FN-2187…”

Snoke’s cry of rage echoes in the whole palace.

 

* * *

Unkar Plutt looks like a pig, and Kylo Ren can’t help but scrunch his nose in disdain.

He is begging for his life and still manages to give no information, and Ren is very tempted to stop the impromptu interrogation and give him as a meal to his wolves without further ado. But he can’t afford that. 

He has been hiding for a while, giving Supreme Leader Snoke as little trouble as he can. He has chosen the coldest parts of Alderaan as a shelter. He knows almost no one will come to bother him there. It is too freezing for most: but he and his seven wolves don’t mind the cold. 

It’s not the first time the Supreme Leader has sent a Familiar after him, but he knows it’s nothing more than a punishment for them than a true threat for him. Familiars don’t stand a chance against him. 

There are cowards like Unkar Plutt who come and give him information on whoever might attempt to hunt him down. They don’t live very far from his dwelling, and they hope that such reports might set them in his good graces. On that point, they are unsuccessful: but Kylo Ren is entertained by the fear he inspires in pigs such as Plutt. 

“For the last time,” he growls, his voice under the mask suddenly sounding not as bored as before, increasing Unkar Plutt’s fear by tenfold. “What is so interesting about FN-2187’s companion?”

“W—well, you see, Sir, it’s—it’s just that she’s not exactly kind w—w—with intruders, and—and I barely got out of it alive. She—she said—”

“She said you were too pathetic to die, didn’t she?”

“How did you gue—ah!” Kylo Ren’s grip on his throat becomes tighter, and he starts coughing.

“Fine! Fine! I’ll tell you! We call her the Spring Maiden! She robs rich carriages coming near her as a living! I’ve done business with her a few times! Her domain is the only place where it is never Winter, and she never lets anyone come near it! Ah, she’s a feisty one, sir. I had a beautiful songbird, Beebee-Ate, and she stole it from me and went around claiming I was mistreating it…”

Kylo Ren lets him drop in the ground. He starts pacing around. He appears almost frantic, and it is a sudden change of mood compared to his earlier attitude. “So, tell me,” he asks. “Where does that girl live?”

“It’s east from here,” replies Plutt. “But surely you—”

Ren tilts his head. “You still underestimate me after all this?” He sounds amused, and Plutt doesn’t know if he should be frightened or if he should just laugh and get on his feet. But the monster in the mask grabs him once again by the throat, and Plutt panics. “I’ve told you everything you wanted to know! Let me go!”

Ren stays silent for a moment. “Of course,” he finally replies. He does let go, but it is only to throw him towards seven wolves, who had been probably lurking in the dark during all that time.

It is only a matter of seconds before they jump on Plutt, tearing him into pieces. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can come and bug me on my Tumblr - cosette-giry.tumblr.com, I love getting asks! :D


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